DHS Announces New Intelligence Advisory Board

Some members of a previous Experts Group were involved in discrediting the Hunter Biden laptop story. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is establishing a new intelligence advisory board following the closure of a similar group due to concerns of political bias among its members. The new Homeland Intelligence Advisory Board, comprising up to 40 members appointed by the Under Secretary of DHS, may include 19 members from the controversial Homeland Intelligence Experts Group that was previously shut down by the agency. The board will convene at least once every quarter to provide advice and ideas on intelligence activities while ensuring adherence to privacy and civil liberties principles. The Experts Group faced legal challenges for alleged violations of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and was disbanded following a lawsuit by America First Legal (AFL). The creation of the new advisory board is seen as a continuation of the Experts Group, with exemptions from certain FACA requirements. The composition of the board, including potential members from the disbanded group, may face scrutiny for political bias. The board members will be selected from various sectors related to national security, law enforcement, academia, and critical infrastructure. The controversy surrounding the Experts Group also drew criticism from Republicans for appointing members who had shown political bias, particularly in discrediting the Hunter Biden laptop story. The DHS’s handling of advisory groups, including the new Artificial Intelligence Safety and Security Board, has raised concerns about potential political influence and ties to foreign entities. Under her guidance, Google Cloud set up an AI operation in collaboration with Tsinghua University in China. The university has been granted substantial funding from China’s Central Military Commission’s Science and Technology Committee, a body associated with the Chinese Communist Party responsible for military oversight, to conduct an AI project for the Chinese military.

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